Rome - Palazzo Borghese

Like other noble Roman families, the Borghese family, to which Pope Paul V (1605-21) belonged, had to have both a palace in the city and a summer or "weekend" residence in the country. Cardinal Camillo Borghese accordingly bought a palace near the Tiber and on becoming Pope as Paul V presented it to his brothers Orazio and Francesco. The palace, begun by the architect Martino Lunghi, was completed for the Borghese family by Flaminio Ponzio to a plan which earned it the name of "Cembalo" (harpsichord), with the "keyboard" towards the Tiber.

The sumptuous appointments of the palace reflected all the magnificence of a Papal family. The courtyard with its double row of arcades, its ancient statues, its garlands, its figures of youths and putti is a haven of peace for the visitor coming in from the noise and bustle of the streets. Opposite the Palazzo, where once the carriages stood, are the servants quarters.